FILE - In this April 27, 2006 file photo, an exterior view of the Ikea furniture store in Duisburg, western Germany. The Czech veterinary authority said Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 it detected horse meat in meat balls labeled as beef and pork imported to the country by Sweden's furniture retailer giant Ikea. The State Veterinary Administration says the one-kilogram packs of the frozen meat balls were made in Sweden to be sold in Ikea's furniture stores that also offer typical Swedish food. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

Related

PRAGUE - Ikea says it’s still safe to eat the meat balls served and sold at the Swedish furniture retailer’s Canadian stores, although sales have been halted across Europe over fears of horse meat contamination.

The response comes a day after a Czech veterinary authority discovered horse meat in the meat balls that were labeled as containing beef and pork and sold in 13 European countries.

“This situation is isolated to one supplier in Sweden and does not affect meatballs sold at Ikea Canada,” said company spokeswoman Madeleine Löwenborg-Frick. Meat balls sold in Canadian stores retail for about $7.50 a kilogram and are also available in the store cafeterias. Ikea buys them from a supplier located in Illinois, she said.

There are 12 Canadian Ikea stores, including Richmond and Coquitlam.

The company said on its Facebook page Monday morning the meat balls would temporarily not be sold in any European country, with the exception of Russia, Norway and a few stores in Switzerland and Poland.

“We take seriously the test result from the Czech Republic authorities, indicating presence of horse meat in one batch of our meatballs. Two weeks ago, IKEA Group initiated DNA analyses of all meat products in the range. Twelve tested samples of different batches of meatballs showed no traces of horse meat. We expect the test results at the end of the week to confirm that there are no indications of horse meat in the meatballs,” the statement said.

On Monday, Czech State Veterinary Administration said the one-kilogram packs of the frozen meat balls were made in Sweden to be sold in Ikea's furniture stores that also offer typical Swedish food.

A total of 760 kilograms (1,675 pounds) of the meat balls were stopped from reaching the shelves in the Czech Republic.

The authority said horse meat was also found in beef burgers imported from Poland.

Last week, the Czechs detected horse meat for the first time — in lasagna Bolognese made by frozen food processor Tavola S. A. Comigel and sold at Tesco.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Video

Business Videos

Best of Postmedia

Swoop has yet to pick up a single customer, but Canada’s newest ultra-low-cost carrier is already talking about expanding into a market that is just taking off. Launched by WestJet Airlines Ltd., Calgary-based Swoop started booking customers this month for flights that begin this summer connecting five Canadian cities. It is offering discounted fares on […]

Director Ryan Coogler admits he was surprised by the initial feedback he got from the bigwigs at Marvel Studios when he began sharing his vision for its next franchise, Black Panther. After all, he was set to make a $200-million epic blockbuster; a popcorn movie that mixed dazzling special effects, heart-stopping action sequences and sprawling […]

At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Mary Ormsby of the Toronto Star took one look at the fit, spandex-laden forms of the cross-country skiers and declared: “I have found my new sport.” Ormsby wasn’t a typical out-of-shape scribe. She had been an all-American volleyball player at Ohio State, so knew athletics from both sides. […]

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.